‘Dark Chocolate’ rolls Mayanja back on stage
Talk about reggae music in Uganda and my first mention would be Tshaka Mayanja aka Winston. He popularised the tropical beat when he carted in reggae icons like Chaka Demus and Pliers and Third World.
By Joseph Batte
Talk about reggae music in Uganda and my first mention would be Tshaka Mayanja aka Winston. He popularised the tropical beat when he carted in reggae icons like Chaka Demus and Pliers and Third World.
He is also a singer, songwriter and producer with a couple of albums to his name. Unfortunately, for several years, he failed to win the hearts of Ugandans because his voice was not meant for lead singing.
Thank God he realised it in time to go back to the drawing board. He has written new songs and has discovered and polished the rough edges of a diamond called K’Angie Mtume, and has given her his songs to belt as he lays down the cute grooves.
Mayanja is back with a force to claim his position as the crown prince of Uganda reggae music. His artistic statement is a new 12-track album cheeky-titled Dark Chocolate.
The tracks are Woman’s Touch, Last Night, Happy Birth Daddy, My
Unborn Child, The Other Woman, The Dream, Netondera, Highway to
Loneliness, Lucile and Dora, Who Jah Bless and World Leaders.
When he invited me to listen to Dark Chocolate, I thought the bloke was bluffing.
I feared he was again destined to toil in the shadows of local talent-challenged wannabes. How wrong I was!
Woman’s touch, the opening track left my jaws hanging open. The following 10 were not duff either. I was moved by the sheer musicality of the album and of course the singing, I had problems picking the top notch track.
But after several listens, I discovered subtle beauty in My Unborn Child. It is a dialogue between a mother and her unborn child. It is the real knockout on the strength of his wordy play. It provides a soothing light enjoyment.
Reggae fans will love this album for its varied styles: rootsy, funky, jazz-tinged, lovers-rock reggae in the mould of the legendary UK-based Soul/Funk/Jazz outfit Incognito, led by Jean-Paul ‘Bluey’ Maunik.
The catchiness of the melodic tracks and the harmonic backing makes it likeable, while the sound is melodic lovers rock reggae with emphasis on well-constructed songs.
Dark Chocolate strikes me as a fearsome blue print of the real thing.
The silky smooth, slickly produced lovers’ rock romantic tunes that make up lovers rock could only be crafted by the best in hit machines in da reggae biz like Jamaica’s Sly and Robbie. But Mayanja, who is also a nimble bass player, beats the Jamaicans at their own game this time around.
You can be sure of a bright face when you listen to the album if you are an oldie.
“I made Dark Chocolate for adults aged 28 and above. For the last six or so years, local artistes have been churning out predominantly dance music for young listeners, theatregoers and Luganda and Swahili speakers only,†says Mayanja.
Dark Chocolate is made for those who may not necessarily want to listen to vernacular and dance all the time and adults, who after a hard day’s work, want to unwind by listening to smooth, meaningful well-produced music.
However, the masterstroke is the immense talent of the sensual, sultry and smooth-voiced Mtume. Her relaxed singing has a soulful edge that begs comparison to Eryka Badu and Sade, lending a classy feel to the music.
This girl shows that she is adept at singing love songs, blues and jazz. With a little dusting here and there, we shall soon be staring at a star.
For all intents and purposes, the album should improve things and put Tshaka Mayanja where he rightly belongs – top reggae producer and songwriter in the country. Believe me, modern roots reggae doesn’t come any better than in Dark Chocolate.
Ends
Talk about reggae music in Uganda and my first mention would be Tshaka Mayanja aka Winston. He popularised the tropical beat when he carted in reggae icons like Chaka Demus and Pliers and Third World.
He is also a singer, songwriter and producer with a couple of albums to his name. Unfortunately, for several years, he failed to win the hearts of Ugandans because his voice was not meant for lead singing.
Thank God he realised it in time to go back to the drawing board. He has written new songs and has discovered and polished the rough edges of a diamond called K’Angie Mtume, and has given her his songs to belt as he lays down the cute grooves.
Mayanja is back with a force to claim his position as the crown prince of Uganda reggae music. His artistic statement is a new 12-track album cheeky-titled Dark Chocolate.
The tracks are Woman’s Touch, Last Night, Happy Birth Daddy, My
Unborn Child, The Other Woman, The Dream, Netondera, Highway to
Loneliness, Lucile and Dora, Who Jah Bless and World Leaders.
When he invited me to listen to Dark Chocolate, I thought the bloke was bluffing.
I feared he was again destined to toil in the shadows of local talent-challenged wannabes. How wrong I was!
Woman’s touch, the opening track left my jaws hanging open. The following 10 were not duff either. I was moved by the sheer musicality of the album and of course the singing, I had problems picking the top notch track.
But after several listens, I discovered subtle beauty in My Unborn Child. It is a dialogue between a mother and her unborn child. It is the real knockout on the strength of his wordy play. It provides a soothing light enjoyment.
Reggae fans will love this album for its varied styles: rootsy, funky, jazz-tinged, lovers-rock reggae in the mould of the legendary UK-based Soul/Funk/Jazz outfit Incognito, led by Jean-Paul ‘Bluey’ Maunik.
The catchiness of the melodic tracks and the harmonic backing makes it likeable, while the sound is melodic lovers rock reggae with emphasis on well-constructed songs.
Dark Chocolate strikes me as a fearsome blue print of the real thing.
The silky smooth, slickly produced lovers’ rock romantic tunes that make up lovers rock could only be crafted by the best in hit machines in da reggae biz like Jamaica’s Sly and Robbie. But Mayanja, who is also a nimble bass player, beats the Jamaicans at their own game this time around.
You can be sure of a bright face when you listen to the album if you are an oldie.
“I made Dark Chocolate for adults aged 28 and above. For the last six or so years, local artistes have been churning out predominantly dance music for young listeners, theatregoers and Luganda and Swahili speakers only,†says Mayanja.
Dark Chocolate is made for those who may not necessarily want to listen to vernacular and dance all the time and adults, who after a hard day’s work, want to unwind by listening to smooth, meaningful well-produced music.
However, the masterstroke is the immense talent of the sensual, sultry and smooth-voiced Mtume. Her relaxed singing has a soulful edge that begs comparison to Eryka Badu and Sade, lending a classy feel to the music.
This girl shows that she is adept at singing love songs, blues and jazz. With a little dusting here and there, we shall soon be staring at a star.
For all intents and purposes, the album should improve things and put Tshaka Mayanja where he rightly belongs – top reggae producer and songwriter in the country. Believe me, modern roots reggae doesn’t come any better than in Dark Chocolate.
Ends